There is a need for a versatile safe one-piece apparatus to make spaetzle that could be used with a variety of conventionally-sized pots with minimal mess.
Spaetzle has various spellings. Because of its long history and wide use in countries with various dominant languages, spaetzle can be found in world literature with a number of variations of spelling. These variations on spaetzle include spaetzli, spaetzel, spaetzil, spatzle, spatzli, spatzel, spatzil, spetzle, spetzli, spetzel, and spetzil. For consistency, the spelling “spaetzle” will be used throughout this document except where product names are mentioned that contain the word.
Spaetzle is an egg based noodle that is irregular in shape. It typically ranges in size from lump noodles of over 1.2 centimeters (½ inch) in diameter to rods with a length of between about 2.5 to 5 centimeters (one to two inches) and about and a diameter of about 6 to 9 millimeters (¼ to ⅜ inch).
Spaetzle has been known for a long time. While the geographic origin of spaetzle is unknown, written mention has been found in documents from as early as 1725. Today spaetzle, at lease in Europe, is generally associated with the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The leading German producer is Herrman, which produces approximately 13,000 tons per year. The estimated annual commercial production of spaetzle in Germany is approximately 40,000 tons, which does not include spaetzle made by individual households and restaurants. Premade spaetzle are also available internationally from companies such as Maggi, a division of Nestlé.
Spaetzle is used in many dishes. Spaetzle typically accompany meat dishes prepared with an abundant sauce or gravy. In Hungary spaetzle often are used in soup. Spaetzle also are used as a primary ingredient in some dishes.
Spaetzle is made commercially to be sold in stores or prepared by hand by cooks or homemakers. Commercially made noodles, marketed as spaetzle, may bear little resemblance to handmade spaetzle, being more or less regular in shape and having a more solid feel when eaten. Most popular are dried spaetzle that are cooked in boiling water like ordinary egg noodles. But as of late, pre-cooked spaetzle have become available as well in the supermarket refrigerators.
Preparation of homemade spaetzle is varied. Spaetzle dough typically consists of few ingredients, principally eggs, flour, and salt. A liquid, often water, milk or broth, is added to produce a thinner dough or batter. Traditionally, spaetzle are made by scraping dough off a wooden chopping board into boiling salt water where they cook until they rise to the surface. They are then skimmed and put aside. Since this can be a cumbersome way to prepare spaetzle, several devices were invented to facilitate cooking that resemble a strainer, (or colander), a potato ricer, a food mill or coarse grater. With the “strainer” type spaetzle maker, a thick batter is pushed through the holes using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Like with scraped spaetzle, the dough drops into the boiling water.
The above devices have problems. Some devices have multiple parts, are inefficient because they are time-consuming to clean and become unworkable if one part breaks. Other devices are dangerous because they are difficult to hold over scalding pots of water to urge dough to pass through holes and fall into the water. Single part devices are inflexible because they generally cannot be used easily with various sized water pots. Also, some devices with long handles are unsafe around children who may cause the device to tip over onto then. Still others are awkward to fill with dough or require multiple uses to make a desired amount of finished product.
There is still a need for an apparatus to make home-made spaetzle that is an efficient, safe, flexible device that is easier to use and clean than devices presently known.